The Best Action Cameras

Heading Outdoors? Bring One Of These Wearable Action Cams With You

With the rise of extreme sports came the rise of action cameras — Instagram shots just don't cut it when we're talking climbing, diving, and drifting.

Acting as chief witness to your outdoor pursuits, action cameras are built to withstand the toughest conditions to ensure none of your death-defying stunts or marathon PBs go undocumented.

Whether you're looking for something to take on your next off-roading adventure, or you just want a toy to show off when the guys come over for drinks, here’s our countdown of the market’s top guns, made to ensure your bragging rights remain until the end of time.

TomTom Bandit

The Bandit takes the pain out of editing thanks to a neat auto-editing feature that does it all for you. With the dedicated app, simply shake your phone and watch the magic unfold. Prefer a stab at it yourself? No problem. Manual editing is easy, and there are plenty of filters to pick from. Plus, with iTunes integration you can overlay your vids with your favourite tracks. Its shooting capabilities, on par with GoPro’s 4K resolution, ensures your videos and images look crisp each time. Although, like most action cameras, it doesn’t fare well in dim lighting.$350.00 at Amazon.com

GoPro Hero4 Black

Action cameras have been around for some time, but it wasn’t until GoPro entered the fray that heads started turning. This latest model features Hollywood Blockbuster 4K video, plus image refurbishment features such as stabilisation and wind noise reduction to ensure all your achievements are captured in fine detail. It also offers slow-mo capture to settle those by-a-tooth finish-line assembles that you will kick-off on the drive home. The accompanying case is both durable and waterproof, so it can survive a good bashing – both on land and at sea.$444.00 at Amazon.com

Sony FDR-X1000V 4K Action Camera

While Sony is no stranger to making sturdy action cameras – in fact, it was considered somewhat of a vanguard before GoPro’s emergence – this is the firm’s first device that’s packaged under the label. It’s armed with some serious shooting creds, including 4K video, and is complimented by a waterproof translucent shell, similar to that of the GoPro’s. As with the TomTom Bandit, the FDR has integrated Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing you to live stream your feats straight to your phone.$398.99 at Amazon.com

Garmin Virb XE

The original Garmin Virb was the first action camera to introduce motion sensors and GPS tracking, allowing users to map their journeys from start to finish. The XE serves as an upgrade and has ditched its bullet-shape form in favour of a squared one, making it chest-mountable for improved portability – especially while running. Like the majority of the cameras on this list, app integration is tight, allowing for easy editing and image refurbishment, thanks to white balance controls et al. Garmin has also tightly-sealed the aluminium chassis to make it fully waterproof (up to 50m), so there’s no need for unnecessarily bulky cases to make it something-proof.$326.99 at Amazon.com

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT5

Most action cams are designed solely for capturing outdoor pursuits, but the Lumix is an all-year indoor/outdoor number with some serious body armour; it’s waterproof, shockproof, dustproof and – for the first time ever – freeze-proof, so it won’t let you down even at low temperatures. It’s basically your average camera on steroids. Shooting action is on par – if not better – than standard action cameras, with a 16.1MP snapper for sharp stills, but no 4K video capabilities. If that’s a deal-breaker, opt for one of the above. Finally, it comes with remote shooting, instant transfer, geotagging and front-flash, so it can hold its own in dim lighting, unlike other devices on this list.$329.95 at Amazon.com

Veho Muvi K-2 Pro

Minus the device itself, most action cameras will require you to make further investments to your arsenal if you wish to capture those token shots. While chest straps, mounts, waterproof casings and other accessories don’t come as standard with most devices, the K-2 Pro is offered with various mounts and cases to up your shooting creds. Its specs list is also impressive, with a bright LCD touchscreen included as standard. Meanwhile, the beefy 1,500 mAh battery gives you a full three hours of shooting time which, when coupled with its 4K mega sensor, will ensure your PBs will not go undocumented.$299.99 at Amazon.com

Olfi

Unless you’re shooting 24/7, you may want to consider some affordable alternatives, such as the Olfi, one of the few devices to really challenge the GoPro Hero4 Black. Hailing straight outta Wales, it offers 4K video, slow-mo capture, Wi-Fi and image stablisation to make your shots look like Michael Bay himself was holding it, and is complimented by a sturdy translucent case for added protection. Best of all, it won’t cost you a fortune; at £150 it’s less than half the price of the Hero4 Black.$200.00 at Olfi.co.uk